A Germany side hitting their groove will face the so far brilliant Azzurri in a blockbuster quarter-final at the Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux later tonight.
Die Mannschaft have encountered few challenges on their Euro 2016 campaign, yet have only just begun to demonstrate the football that saw them as equal favourites to win the competition with host nation France. Joachim Loew’s side advanced into the last eight after a dominating 3-0 triumph over Slovakia, that saw Jerome Boeteng, Mario Gomez and an especially impressive Julian Draxler on the scoresheet – the only blip being Mesut Ozil’s attempted penalty in the first-half.
Meanwhile, praise has been heaped upon Antonio Conte and his players, who have defied all pre-tournament critics and have reach the quarter-finals in the face of tough opposition. Overcoming Belgium and Sweden in their group, the latest piece of Italian mastery came in a 2-0 win over reigning Euro champions Spain, where the defence was gain impenetrable, but against many expectations, the attack showed venom and went after the result from the opening whistle.
Key Battle – Tony Kroos vs Giorgio Chiellini
A puzzle none at this tournament have cracked awaits Germany in Bordeaux, that will require greater efforts on the pitch than the majority of their players have shown thus far at the tournament. One man who has had no trouble warming up though is Toni Kroos, whose consistency in the screening role has earned the team’s defence plaudits, while against Slovakia he was at the helm of the goal scoring – with two assists from pinpoint corner deliveries. It will be up to the Real Madrid expert to shutdown the Italian momentum and turn it into counter-attacks.
For the Azzurri, their philosophy at this tournament has been embodied by the three-man backline and in particular Giorgio Chiellini. Opposition strikers, be it Romelu Lukaku or the iconic Zlatan Ibrahimovic, have hardly troubled the 31-year-old and his fellow Juventus defenders, while he pounced on a loose ball opportunity to score the opening goal against Spain. If Germany control possession, than there may be a lot of pressure in store for the Italian trio, but Chiellini has shown already he has a deep bag of tricks to dig into.
Team News
For the first time at Euro 2016 Joachim Loew approaches a match with no injuries to worry about. Based on form though, Wolfsburg youngster Draxler should start on the wing ahead of Mario Gotze – who has offered little danger when playing as part of the midfield line.
Things are a little different for Italy though, who are likely to be without vital midfielder Daniele De Rossi after continued complaints with a right-thigh issue. Antonio Candreva is also in doubt due to a hamstring problem, while Thiago Motta is suspended.
Head-to-head
This will be the 34th meeting between these two footballing powerhouses, in a storied rivalry that dates back to 1923. Italy hold the historical advantage with 15 wins, while Germany have won 10 and eight games were stalemates. It is worth noting, however, that none of Die Mannschaft’s wins against Italy have come in major competition.
Previous Meeting
Conte will certainly be wary of Germany’s threats, after a friendly match between the teams in March ended in a 4-1 defeat for the Italians. Kroos, Gotze, Jonas Hector and Mesut Ozil all found the net on the day, while Stephan El Shaarawy recorded a consolation for those in blue.
Prediction
Both sides have exhibited great overall balance and momentum at the tournament so far, making this an especially hard result to predict. The cool-headed and efficient German style will collide with the intense Azzurri passion, and any opening or mistake will need to be taken full advantage of to book a spot in the final four. Italy need to stop Loew’s men from taking an early control of the possession and laying on the pressure, however, Die Mannschaft’s defence will be formidable enough themselves to edge out the first ever major win against their international rivals.
Germany 1 Italy 0
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
